Characteristics and experiences of past participants in the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses

There are nearly 200,000 licensed practicing nurses in the state of Texas, representing one-tenth of the nations' workforce. The prevalence of substance abuse among nurses is estimated to range between six and 20 percent in this professional group.^ Since March 1987, the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) has offered intervention, education, support and monitoring to nurses in Texas whose practice has become impaired due to substance abuse and/or mental illness. Since then approximately 44 percent of nurses who voluntarily signed participation agreements successfully completed the program; fifty-six percent have not. One determinant of completion for those nurses identified as chemically dependent is abstinence from mood altering substances. Other helping professions report higher rates of abstinence two years following treatment.^ The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between relapse, demographics, treatment variables, work setting, "stress" indicators and support factors for nurses who participated in TPAPN. A questionnaire was mailed to 1000 randomly selected nurses who had signed agreements since 1987 and were no longer active in the program. More than 41% of the questionnaires were returned undeliverable.^ Recipients of the questionnaire were known only to TPAPN, never to the investigator. All information was received anonymously except when the participant chose to sign the questionnaire. A cover letter explaining the study and inviting participation was enclosed. Completion and return of the questionnaire was considered consent to participate.^ Findings demonstrated a significant relationship between relapse and opiates as the drug of choice for past participants in the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses. Significant associations were found among factors such as control at work, support, physical complaints, job security, self-esteem and employment in this sample. Respondents shared copious written comments about their experiences in TPAPN. These data were analyzed using qualitative methods and compared with similar studies of recovering nurses. Further research with nurses whose practice has been affected by abuse of chemical and mental illness is warranted. ^

The European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS): first annual report

The European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS) was founded on 10 December 2009 with the initiative of Roland Hetzer (Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany) and Jan Gummert (Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany) with 15 other founding international members. It aims to promote scientific research to improve care of end-stage heart failure patients with ventricular assist device or a total artificial heart as long-term mechanical circulatory support. Likewise, the organization aims to provide and maintain a registry of device implantation data and long-term follow-up of patients with mechanical circulatory support. Hence, EUROMACS affiliated itself with Dendrite Clinical Systems Ltd to offer its members a software tool that allows input and analysis of patient clinical data on a daily basis. EUROMACS facilitates further scientific studies by offering research groups access to any available data wherein patients and centres are anonymized. Furthermore, EUROMACS aims to stimulate cooperation with clinical and research institutions and with peer associations involved to further its aims. EUROMACS is the only European-based Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support with rapid increase in institutional and individual membership. Because of the expeditious data input, the European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgeons saw the need to optimize the data availability and the significance of the registry to improve care of patients with mechanical circulatory support and its potential contribution to scientific intents; hence, the beginning of their alliance in 2012. This first annual report is designed to provide an overview of EUROMACS' structure, its activities, a first data collection and an insight to its scientific contributions.

The association of peer victimization and/or bullying perpetration and body dissatisfaction in elementary students from the healthy passages baseline study

This is the first U.S. study to investigate the association between peer victimization and/or bullying perpetration and body image dissatisfaction in American elementary school students. The study used data collected from the Healthy Passages baseline cohort of 5152 ethnically diverse fifth grade students from Alabama, Texas, and California. The overall prevalence of body dissatisfaction in our fifth grade sample was 50%. Students who were dissatisfied with their bodies were 23% more likely to be involved in peer victimization than students who were satisfied with their bodies (OR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.48). No significant associations were found between bullying status or bully-victim status and body dissatisfaction. Other factors that contributed significantly to a student's body image status were BMI, level of self-worth, level of household income, gender, pubertal timing and support received from adults (other than parents). It is noteworthy that those who were dissatisfied were heavier, came from lower income homes and were more likely to be male. Additional longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations, especially among large ethnically and socio-economically diverse samples. ^

Use of empowerment evaluation to determine a sustainability plan for a community-based preconception care program

Women With IMPACT (WWI) is a community-based preconception care educational intervention. WWI is being implemented by the Impacting Maternal and Prenatal Care Together (IMPACT) Collaborative and targets zip codes in Harris County, Texas at high risk for infant mortality, low birthweight, and preterm birth. WWI started March 2012 and continues through August 2013. Three workshop series are planned. This study was conducted with participants and facilitators from the first workshop series. This study aimed to 1) evaluate the WWI program using empowerment evaluation, 2) engage all WWI stakeholders in an empowerment evaluation so the method could be adopted as a participatory evaluation process for future IMPACT activities, and 3) develop recommendations for sustainability of the WWI intervention, based on empowerment evaluation findings and results from the pre/post program evaluation completed by WWI participants. Study participants included WWI participants and facilitators and IMPACT Collaborative Steering Committee members. WWI participants were female, 18-35 year-old, non-pregnant residents of zip codes at high risk of adverse birth outcomes. All other study participants were 18 years or older. A two-phased empowerment evaluation (EE) was utilized in this study. Sessions 1-4 were conducted independently of one another – 3 with participants at different sites and one with the facilitators. The fifth session included WWI participant and facilitator representatives, and IMPACT Steering Committee members. Session 5 built upon the work of the other sessions. Observation notes were recorded during each session. Thematic content analysis was conducted on all EE tables and observation notes. Mission statements drafted by each group focused on improvement of physical and mental health through behavior change and empowerment of all participants. The top 5 overall program components were: physical activity, nutrition, self-worth, in-class communication, and stress. Goals for program improvement were set by EE participants for each of these components. Through thematic content analysis of the tables and observation notes, social support emerged as an important theme of the program among all participant groups. Change to a healthy lifestyle emerged as an important theme in terms of program improvement. Two-phased EE provided an opportunity for all program stakeholders to provide feedback regarding important program components and provide suggestions for program improvement. EE, thematic content analysis, pre/post evaluation results, and inherent program knowledge were triangulated to make recommendations to sustain the program once the initial funding ends. ^

Identifying effective behavioural components of Intervention and Comparison group support provided in SMOKing cEssation interventions (IC-SMOKE) : a systematic review protocol

Funding The research described in this paper is funded by Cancer Research UK, registered under application number C50862/A18446. The systematic review protocol reported in this paper was previously peer-reviewed by Cancer Research UK as part of the funding process. The funders had no role in protocol design, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Examining the relationship between daily changes in support and smoking around a self-set quit date

This study was funded by the Swiss National Foundation (100014_124516). We would like to thank all students who helped with data collection.

Case-based reasoning to support decision making for managing drinking water quality events in distribution systems

Peer reviewed

Lightweight peer-to-peer secure multi-party VoIP protocol

Multi-party voice-over-IP (MVoIP) services provide economical and convenient group communication mechanisms for many emerging applications such as distance collaboration systems, on-line meetings and Internet gaming. In this paper, we present a light peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol to provide MVoIP services on small platforms like mobile phones and PDAs. Unlike other proposals, our solution is fully distributed and self-organizing without requiring specialized servers or IP multicast support.

The Missing Piece: Empowerment of Roma Grassroots Organisations in EU Roma Integration Policies. IES Policy Brief Issue 2014/10/December 2014

Summary. The fourth edition of Roma Pride has brought Roma civic activism back in the spotlight. This Roma-rights mobilization, taking place every October in several European cities, has emphasized the centrality of an active civil society in pursuing a successful integration of the Roma in Europe. The ‘Award for Roma Integration’ and the ‘Civil Society Prize 2014’ conferred last October by the European Union (EU) to Roma and pro-Roma Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have confirmed this approach. Nonetheless, a general discontent towards the EU Roma Integration Policies exists within the Roma Civil Society, who calls for stronger support to and the promotion of “Romaled change”. This Policy Brief investigates the reasons behind such discontent and identifies the ‘distance’ from Roma communities as the Achilles heel of EU policies. It argues for further efforts by the EU to empower Roma organisations operating at the grassroots through community capacity building, structured dialogue and simplification of the funding mechanisms.

Adolescents in youth empowerment positions : special projects of national significance /

"July 1996."

Adapting the 'family wellbeing' empowerment program to the needs of remote indigenous school children

Objective: To adapt the Family Wellbeing empowerment program, which was initially designed to support adults to take greater control and responsibility for their decisions and lives, to the needs of Indigenous school children living in remote communities. Method. At the request of two schools in remote Indigenous communities in far north Queensland, a pilot personal development and empowerment program based on the adult Family Wellbeing principles was developed, conducted and evaluated in the schools. The main aims of the program were to build personal identity and to encourage students to recognise their future potential and be more aware of their place in the community and wider society. Results: Participation in the program resulted in significant social and emotional growth for the students. Outcomes described by participating students and teachers included increased analytical and reflective skills, greater ability to think for oneself and set goals, less teasing and bullying in the school environment, and an enhanced sense of identity, friendship and,social relatedness'. Conclusion: This pilot implementation of the Family Wellbeing Program adapted for schools demonstrated the program's potential to enhance Indigenous young people's personal growth and development. Challenges remain in increasing parental/ family involvement and ensuring the program's sustainability and transferability. The team has been working with relevant stakeholders to further develop and package the School-based Family Wellbeing program for Education Queensland's New Basics curriculum framework.

The 'Healthy Passport' intervention with older people in an English urban environment:effects of incentives and peer-group organisers in promoting healthy living

This paper reports the evaluation of the effectiveness of incentives (viz. points and prizes) and of peer-group organisers ('older people's champions') in the outcomes of a health-improvement programme for people aged 50 + years in a multi-ethnic district of the West Midlands, England. Health promotion activities Were provided, and adherence, outcome variables and barriers to adherence were assessed over six months, using a `passport' format. Those aged in the fifties and of Asian origin Were under represented, but people of Afro-Caribbean origin were well represented and proportionately most likely to stay in the project. Those of greater age and With more illness were most likely to drop out. There were significant improvements in exercise, diet and the uptake of influenza vaccines and eyesight tests, but slighter improvements in wellbeing. Positive outcomes related to the incentives and to liking the format. The number of reported barriers was associated with lower involvement and lack of change, as was finding activities too difficult, the level of understanding, and transport and mobility problems, but when these were controlled, age did not predict involvement. Enjoying the scheme was related to positive changes, and this was associated with support from the older people's champions.

Peer mentoring in higher education:a multidimensional approach to conceptualising the role of peer mentoring programmes in enhancing the first year undergraduate experience

Across the literature researchers agree that the concept of mentoring results in positive outcomes for both mentors and mentees alike (Enrich et al, 2004). From a pedagogical perspective, student focused mentoring activities in Higher Education are generally perceived to comprise dyadic or triadic relationships that encapsulate a diverse range of learning strategies and/or support mechanisms. Whilst there exists a significant amount of literature regarding the wider value of Peer Mentoring in Higher Education, there remains a notable gap in knowledge about the value of such programmes in enhancing the first year undergraduate experience and thus promoting a smooth transition to University. Using the emergent study findings of a large international project, a multidimensional conceptual framework bringing together the theoretical, conceptual and contextual determinants of Peer Mentoring is proposed. This framework makes a distinctive contribution to current pedagogical theory and practice – particularly in relation to the first year experience.

Nurturing health-related online support groups:exploring the experience of patient moderators

The aim of this study was to examine the views of moderators across a diverse and geographically broad range of online support groups about their moderator experiences and to explore both the personal benefits as well as challenges involved. Thirty-three patient moderators completed an online questionnaire which included a series of open-ended questions. Thematic analysis identified three themes: emergence, empowerment, nurturing. Several moderators declared their own diagnosis and for some, being able to share personal insights motivated them to establish the group and in turn offered validation. They felt empowered by helping others and learned more about the condition through accessing the "communal brain". Some felt the group aided patients' access to health services and their ability to communicate with health professionals while others worried about them becoming over-dependent. Moderators described needing to nurture their group to ensure it offered a safe space for members. Clear rules of engagement, trust, organisation skills, compassion and kindness were considered essential. Patient moderated online support groups can be successfully developed and facilitated and can be empowering for both the group member and moderator alike.© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of weak parental and peer attachment on academic achievement among late adolescent college students

The current study examined the influence of weak parental and peer attachment on academic achievement among late adolescent college students. In previous research, weak attachment to parents and/or peers had been found to have an adverse influence on the academic success of college students. This study also examined the potential moderating influence of several cognitive and non-cognitive psychosocial variables that might act as protective factors for weakly attached students and, therefore, enhance their academic competence. Data regarding attachment, cognitive variables, and non-cognitive variables were collected using several self-report measures. The multi-ethnic sample of students in this study (n = 357) attended an urban university. Students were classified into one of nine parental-peer attachment groups (e.g., Low-Low, Medium-Medium, High-High). Attachment groups were compared in terms of cognitive and non-cognitive variables. Contrary to the hypothesis, no statistically significant academic achievement differences were revealed for the group of college students who perceived themselves to be weakly attached to both parents and peers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified the High-High group to be significantly different in terms of academic outcome variables from the other eight groups while the Low-Low group had significantly lower levels of non-cognitive variables than several of the other attachment groups. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that cognitive variables accounted for significant amounts of variance in academic outcomes and that several non-cognitive variables were significant predictors of scholastic competence. Correlational analyses revealed that parental and peer attachment were positively correlated with several cognitive and non-cognitive variables but neither was significantly correlated with self-reported college GPA. In general, the findings do not provide support for a main effect of weak attachment to parents and peers upon academic adversity among college students. Results suggest that both cognitive variables and non-cognitive variables may moderate academic risk due to weak attachment to parents and peers. Descriptive within group analyses of the Low-Low group revealed a heterogeneous group of students with regards to academic outcomes and scores on non-cognitive measures. Gender and ethnic differences were found for attachment status but not for cognitive or non-cognitive variables. Implications for interventions and suggestions for future research are presented. ^